


Brilliant

by ShininDragon



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Doctor Who Quote, Established Relationship, Hotch is rambling, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Angst, M/M, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-16 18:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21275726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShininDragon/pseuds/ShininDragon
Summary: When Hotch is caught in the blast of a bomb—again—Reid fears the worst. Thankfully, when they find him in the rubble, he’s just unconscious. After he’s come back to, he says something that leaves Reid dumbstruck.





	Brilliant

**Author's Note:**

> So this oneshot was a spur of the moment idea and is based on a slightly altered quote from the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who. FYI, I have never watched Doctor Who, although I am curious and want to give it shot sometime. I have only seen the scene with the quote this is based on. Anyway, I really liked the quote and wanted to write something about it and this seemed fitting.
> 
> As I mentioned on previous works, please be kind on me since English isn't my native language. I hope there aren't too many mistakes.
> 
> Well, anyway, enjoy.

After the smoke had cleared, the team frantically searched for their Unit Chief among the rubble. When the bomb had gone off, Hotch been near it and they had lost sight of him. They feared the worst. Reid especially. He was on edge. Why was it always Aaron? Why did he always end up in these situations? Did he somehow magically attract trouble? What was it? Just why was it always him? He hated the fear that took over him whenever Aaron was in danger. He didn’t want to lose him. He couldn’t handle that. He just wanted to find Aaron alive, take him into his arms and never let go again.

The team knew that Spencer was anxious and scared. They wanted to find Aaron quickly and hopefully more or less unharmed for him. A few months ago, Spencer and Aaron had come out to them and told them about their relationship. Apparently, they had been together for little over a year by then. Of course, they had been shocked and especially Morgan hadn’t been fond of it in the beginning. But eventually even he had come around and realised that Aaron made Spencer happy, and the other way around. Now, the team had their backs no matter what and supported them. Spencer was glad about that. It meant a lot to him and Aaron that their friends accepted their relationship.

Spencer noticed Rossi next to him and felt the older man’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure he’s okay, Spencer,” Rossi tried to calm him. “Aaron is tough.”

Spencer stopped walking and looked at him unsure. “But how many explosions can one man survive though?” he asked thinking about the car bomb in New York that killed Kate Joyner. Aaron had almost been deafened. “What if he’s lost his hearing entirely now? You know that will destroy him.”

“You will be there to help him.”

Spencer nodded. Of course he would be there for Aaron. He had already learned ASL—just in case. Actually, so had Aaron. They had learned it together. Aaron was scared of losing his hearing. Scared of what that would mean for him. He couldn’t work any more. He couldn’t hear Jack’s laugh any more. He couldn’t hear Spencer’s wonderful voice any more. He was scared that Spencer would leave him if he was deaf. But Spencer had assured him time and again that he wouldn’t do that. He had assured him that he would always love him, no matter what.

“WE FOUND HIM!” they heard Morgan yell.

Spencer’s heart skipped a beat and then he took off like he suddenly had turned into a cheetah. He quickly reached Morgan. The dark-skinned agent stood next to a motionless body amid some rubble. Spencer’s heart stopped when he saw Aaron and he gulped.

“He’s just unconscious,” Morgan told him with a soft smile.

Spencer breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God,_ he thought and scanned Aaron’s body for anything of concern. He didn’t see any wounds. He probably had only been knocked out by the blast. Spencer knelt by Aaron’s side and gently slapped his cheeks. “Aaron. Aaron, can you hear me?” he asked worriedly. There was a trickle of blood coming from Aaron’s ear. Spencer gulped. Even though they were prepared, Spencer hoped that Aaron hadn’t been deafened; it would destroy him.

“Aaron,” Spencer tried again, this time louder. He gently slapped Aaron’s cheeks and shook him. He felt the eyes of his teammates on him. They were worried too, maybe even scared. He vaguely registered Rossi calling an ambulance. They were sure that there was no other bomb.

Spencer kept trying to wake Aaron up. He grew more and more desperate with each second that passed. “Aaron, please,” he begged quietly. “Come back to me.”

Suddenly Aaron’s eyelids flickered and his hand twitched in Spencer’s. Spencer wasn’t even sure when he had taken Aaron’s hand but it didn’t matter anyway.

“Yes, Aaron, that’s it,” Spencer encouraged him and gently squeezed Aaron’s hand.

Aaron squeezed back weakly and finally opened his eyes. Spencer sighed relieved. Aaron blinked a few times. His eyes were burning. Why? What happened? He felt a hand hold his and he knew it was Spencer’s. Aaron had grown accustomed to the feel of the young man’s hand. It made him feel safe and reminded him that Spencer was always by his side. Right now it made him feel even safer than usually because he had no idea what was going on. The last thing he remembered was talking to their Unsub. After that everything went blank. What had happened? He tried hard to remember.

Spencer tenderly caressed his cheek. “Aaron, there was a bomb. You were caught in the blast,” he explained slowly and made sure that Aaron could see his lips and read them in case he couldn’t hear him.

A bomb. That made sense, Aaron thought. It certainly explained the painful ringing in his ears and the general ache in his body. Was he hurt? And if he was, how bad? But at least he had heard every word Spencer had said, even if a bit muffled. That meant he was most likely not deaf. That was good news. It also explained why his eyes were burning. It was probably from the dust. Some of it must’ve gotten into them.

Aaron tried to sit up and groaned. Spencer put an arm around him and helped him sit up. “Aaron, be careful,” he asked him worried.

Aaron took a shaky breath which turned into a cough and winced. His chest hurt. He probably had a few broken ribs. And besides the ringing in his ears, his head hurt like hell. It made it hard for him to focus as he was looking around. He looked at each of his teammates who looked at him worried. He stopped at Spencer’s beautiful face and just looked at him for a few moments. He was so glad to see Spencer’s face. His boyfriend was looking at him worried and scared and Aaron knew he was waiting for him to say something, anything.

He took a deep breath, even though it hurt and then cracked a smile at Spencer. “Oh, I survived. Brilliant. I love it when I do that.”

Spencer’s eyes widened and he stared at him perplexed. Did Aaron just… The rest of the team couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aaron,” Spencer said dumbstruck. “Did… Did you just…” He paused to collect himself. “Did you just—almost—quote Doctor Who?”

Aaron coughed shortly and then chuckled. “The… The only difference is that… that I said survived instead… instead of escaped. I mean... I didn't actually escape anything but... but I survived something. It’s… It’s quite fitting, don’t you think? In… In more than one aspect. The episode in which the Eleventh said that was titled _Big Bang_. And I got blown up—again. Fitting, very fitting, don’t you think? I think it is. But I wonder why’s it always me who gets blown up? Not that I want any of you to get blown up. I’m just saying. Damn, my head hurts. Am I talking loudly? I feel like I’m yelling. Am I?”

Spencer shook his head chuckling and shut Aaron up by kissing him. “You’re rambling, dear,” he said after he had pulled away again. “And no, you weren’t yelling.”

Aaron grinned stupidly at Spencer and then collapsed into Spencer coughing. Spencer gently stroked Aaron’s head. “You’re not visibly hurt but you probably have a concussion and broken ribs and some bruises,” he told Aaron. “There’s blood coming from your ear though.”

“My ears are ringing but I don’t think I’m deaf,” Aaron answered resting his head on Spencer’s shoulder and closing his eyes.

“They need to be checked nonetheless.” Spencer looked past their rather amused and of course relieved teammates and saw the paramedics coming towards them. “Come on. Let’s get you to a hospital and checked over.”

Aaron just nodded. The paramedics reached them and Spencer gently helped Aaron on to the stretcher. On the way to the ambulance, he held Aaron’s hand to assure him that he wouldn’t leave his side. After the paramedics had loaded Aaron into the ambulance, Spencer climbed in as well and took Aaron’s hand again. Aaron smiled up at him and weakly squeezed Spencer’s hand. They held hands all through the drive to the hospital.

When they arrived, they took Aaron away to be examined. Spencer had to wait in the visitor’s lounge. He hated waiting. He wanted to be with Aaron now. He wanted to hold his hand and tell him everything would be alright. Spencer couldn’t sit still so he paced like a tiger in a cage. He was scared.

It seemed like an eternity had passed when a nurse entered the lounge.

“Dr Reid?” he asked smiling and Spencer nodded anxiously. “The doctor is done with Agent Hotchner. He’ll be alright. He asked for you. Come on, I’ll bring you to him.”

Spencer nodded and followed him to the room Aaron had been examined in. Aaron was lying in the bed in a hospital gown with the sheet drawn up to his stomach. The look of sheer discomfort on Aaron’s face told Spencer how much the man hated this. But he smiled when Spencer walked in.

Spencer sat down by Aaron’s side and took his hand. Aaron squeezed it gently. “I’ll be okay, Spencer,” he said smiling weakly. “I have a few broken ribs, a concussion and some bruised. Just like you suspected. But besides that I’m okay.”

“What about your ears?” Spencer asked worriedly.

Aaron hesitated. “There’s a painful ringing but I can hear everything, even if it’s a bit muffled currently. An ENT doctor has looked at them. She said the ringing will most likely go away soon and then my hearing will return back to normal. Well, as normal as it was before considering that it wasn’t good to begin with after New York and –” He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Spencer grinning at him. “I’m rambling again, aren’t I?” Spencer nodded amusedly. “Wow, role reversal.”

Spencer laughed and then kissed Aaron’s cheek. “I’m so glad you survived.”

“As am I,” Aaron agreed and put an arm around Spencer to pull him closer to him.

Spencer chuckled and carefully snuggled into Aaron. For a few minutes, they just remained like that. Spencer was so incredibly happy to be in Aaron’s arms. He didn’t know what he would’ve done if he had lost Aaron today. He didn’t want to think about it. Aaron survived. He was here with him and he was going to be okay.

“You know, it should be our catchphrase,” Aaron suddenly mused after some time.

Spencer looked up at him confused. “What?”

“What I said earlier,” Aaron answered. He had that stupid smile on his face again and Spencer was pretty sure that he was high on painkillers. “I survived. Brilliant. I love it when I do that,” Aaron repeated himself. “It’s a very fitting catchphrase for us since we both have a talent to get ourselves into those kinds of situations. Even the original quote would fit because we also get abducted quite often. It’s like we magically attract trouble.”

Spencer shook his head chuckling and kissed Aaron softly. “Aaron, I love you but please shut up.”

Aaron grinned at him and nodded. “I love you too, Spencer.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope you liked this. I am working on something else but it takes a long time to finish. I am hoping to finish it before December though... Well, 28 days left then. Better hurry.


End file.
